Froth-flotation concentration of ores



Patented Sept. 28, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE morn-rm'm'nonCONCENTRATION or ones Cornelius H. Keller, San Francisco, Calif., as-

signor to Minerals Separation North American Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Maryland a I No Drawing. Application December 6,1927,

' Serial N0. 238,231

4 Claims. (Cl. 209-166) This invention relates to the froth flotationobtained when using the reagent resulting from concentration of ores andis herein described as boiling for one hour under a reflux condenser:

applied when there is used as an agent, material Grams containing thecompounds obtained when a hy- Benzene I 120 s 5 drocarbon which may. bea cyclic hydrocarbon, Sulphur 12 5 is caused to react with sulphur 1nthe presence Aluminum chloride (anhydrous) 25 of a metallic element andchlorine. The chlorine,

the sulphur, and the metallic element-may be A si ar y l w l quid w n d,appa variously combined as will appear below. The tly containin phenylsulphide and-useful a a invention is further described in some detail asfl t on age t- It was ound t a w a la r 10 carried out with phenylsulphide, one of the comp p o o s p was s d in connection pounds usuallyobtained under the described con- With the aluminum o d the yield of p yditions of preparing the agent. Phenyl sulphide p e was reduced and siable amounts o is a compound of the type R s whe ei R, is a otherproducts obtained, with the result that the 5 cyclic hydrocarbonradical, reaction product was of less value as a froth- 15 One agent wasprepared by boiling under a flotation agent with some Oresrefluxcondenser for eight h ur Substantially pure phenyl sulphide was usedGrams as a froth-flotation agent as follows: Benzene 100 Utah Copper Co.ore was reground eight min- Sulphur chloride 01 40 utes in a ball millwith four pounds of calcium -20 Zinc (40 mesh-metallic) 40 oxide perton,. and then made into a pulp with water, agitated in a subaerationtest machine for Thls after separating the sohds and the greater tenminutes with 05 pound of cresol 0J2 pound part of the unchanged benzene,yielded a yellow f steam distilled pine and one pmmd of liquid, equal toabout 0f the benzene used, phenyl sulphide, all per ton of ore, and afroth boiling at 290 to 310 C. This liqui w s a crude removed for. sixminutes. The recovery was phenyl sulphide. 84.8%. The results aresummarized in the fol- 65-mesh Anaconda copper ore table tailings lowingtable:

were made into a pulp with water, and four pounds per ton of hydratedlime was added. Then was Copper assays 30 added one pound of the yellowliquid produced 0 aas above described and 0.32 pound of steam dis- Iweight Heads 2,33? Tamngs tilled pine oil, both per ton of tailings.

Agitation was carried on in a subaeration test machine and continued forten minutes and a (122% 35 froth removed for four minutes, giving arecovery of 92.2%. The results are summarized in the An agent wasprepared by boiling under a re following table: flux condenser. V

- Grams p N-heptane 20 40 00pm, assays I sulphur chloride 6.3 Cgniien-Zinc (metallic) 6.3

m e weight Heads Coman- Tamngs I The liquid reaction product was used inthe concentration of Utah Copper Company ore .as fol- 45 lows: 191%1-56% 747% 115% The ore was reground in a ball mill with 4 pounds perton of calcium oxide, made into a pulp with water and agitated in asubaeration o Analagous results, though not as eflicient, were testmachine for ten minutes with 0.5 pound of the liquid reaction product,0.25 pound of cresol,

and 0.06 pound of steam distilled pine oil, all per ton of ore, and afroth removed for six minutes. The recovery was 80.9%. The results areshown in the following table:

Copper assays Weight 2 l? Concen ra e Heads hate Taihngs An agent wasprepared by boiling under a reflux condenser for one hour:

Grams Ben ene V 75 Aluminum chloride (anhydrous) 25 Sulphur .(powder) 20Assays Recoveries Weight Cu Fe, Cu Fe Percent Percent Percent PercentPercent Heads 100 1. 1.63 100 100 Concentrate 6. 5 17. 28 9. 2 85. 7 36.7

filings"- 93. 5 0.2 L l l4. 3 63. 3

In another test the same ore was similarly ground with lime, and thesame reaction product was first dissolved in the cresylic acid and addedto the pulp in a subaeration spitzkasten test machine. A heavy froth wasthen obtained which was stifiened upon the addition of the same amountof pine oil as in the other test. The results of this test are shown inthe following table:

Having thus described certain embodiments of my invention, what I claimis:

1. The process of concentrating an ore by froth-flotation which consistsin agitating and aerating a pulp of the ore with an agent obtained byeffecting a reaction between a liquid cyclic hydrocarbon and sulphurchloride in the presence of zinc, under such conditions that a frothconcentrate is obtained, and separating the froth.

2. The process of concentrating an ore by froth-flotation which consistsin agitating and aerating a pulp of the ore with an agent substantiallydependent upon the presence of phenyl sulphide and with amineral-frothing agent, so that a froth concentrate is obtained, andseparating the froth.

3. In the concentration of ores, the process which comprises subjectingan ore pulp to a froth flotation operation in the presence of acomposition comprising a liquid composite condensation organic productderived from benzene, sulphur, and aluminum chloride.

4.111 the concentration of ores, the process which comprises subjectingan ore pulp containing. copper sulphide to a froth flotation operationin the presence of an organic product derivable by interaction ofbenzene with sulphur in the presence of anhydrous aluminum chloride.

CORNELIUS H. KELLER.

